6 Things The Best Dinner Parties Have In Common

Dinner parties, like the rooms we love, are all about composition. That means striking the right balance from plate to palette, and creating the kind of mood that guests and hosts will never want to leave. For the launch of their latest collection of textiles and furnishings with Guildery, Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason of Aphrochic gave us a lesson in good times. Here's how they did it:

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1

Patrick Cline

The intimate setting at Ode To Babel, "represents the best of 'old school' Brooklyn," according to Hays. In other words, a cool and casual lifestyle bar with no pretense. "The space felt as if you were at home, entertaining in your own dining room," she says of the Prospect Heights space opened by interior designer Marva Babel-Tucker, her twin sister Maryam Babel and their nephew, Kenneth Crum. The venue is one part coffee shop, one part cocktail bar and one part boutique.

Ode To Babel co-owner Kenneth Crum created this bourbon-based drink named for the venue's theme.

THE OLD SCHOOL BROOKLYN

Ingredients:

2 ounces buffalo trace

3/4 ounce JFB sorrel liqueur

1/2 ounce lime

1/2 ginger syrup

Directions:

Blend ingredients and top with a splash of soda. Garnish with a ginger straw and lime wedge.

4A Well-Dressed Table

Patrick Cline

Aphrochic's Ndop fabric — a pattern based upon Ndop cloth, a traditional relief dying method used by the Bamileke of Cameroon — offered a graphic backdrop for the rest of the decor. Juju hats created a wall installation alongside the table and Moroccan rugs from Woven Accents lent a soft touch underfoot.

5

Patrick Cline

For the main event, chef Rashad Frazier of Pulled Together served a savory soul food menu that Hays and Mason say is representative of their brand's soulful aesthetic. Dishes included: Braised pork shoulder with cornbread, sweet potato puree and apple ginger chutney. For dessert: apple cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.

6Good Company

The diverse gathering of friends included influencers from the world of fashion, art and design, like actress Adepero Oduye, textile designer John Robshaw and interior designer Genevieve Gorder. Grammy-nominated singer Maiysha serenaded guests with help from acoustic guitar player Emil McGloin.

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